It is to happen again on September the 17th. In Tordesillas, a Spanish town to the north west of the capital, Madrid, a bull will be speared to death. The victim has already been chosen and its name is Langosto. This savage event is called the Toro de la Vega and both of Spain's main political parties, the conservative Partido Popular and the social-democrat PSOE, support it.
Hundreds of Spaniards armed with spears will chase the bull for an hour with the aim of bleeding it to death. Over five hundred of them will be riding horses and several hundred more will be on foot. In theory, the bull could be pardoned if it were to get beyond certain boundaries, though these are almost impossible to reach. Last year however, the animal did get beyond them, but two individuals kept stalking and wounding it without mercy, murderers who don’t respect their own rules.
One of these rules forbids giving the bull an immediate death by driving the spear right in, as the aim is to cause as many painful wounds as possible. According to another rule the winner will be given the animal’s tail and testicles. Once they have been cut off the winner hangs them from the spear’s tip and waves it high to the joyful cheering of the crowd.
Only a very few pictures of this event can be found since many townspeople prevent any video recordings or photographs being taken, sometimes violently. Several demonstrations against this savage spectacle have been organized, mainly by foreign groups. The only honourable Spanish exception is the PACMA, a party committed to fighting animal abuse. In Spain though, the general opinion is mostly favourable to this sort of fiestas. Only 71,000 signatures were collected by the PACMA in 2012 throughout Spain. In contrast, just in Catalonia 500,000 were collected to support Catalan national teams competing at official international sports events, and 180,000 signed there to support the abolition of bullfighting.
In 1980 the Toro de la Vega was designated a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest by the Spanish government. In 1999, the government of Castile, in central Spain, gave it legal protection as a Traditional Festival. Foreign correspondents have openly criticised (link in Spanish) what Spain considers a festival but, as Martin Dhams of the Berliner Zeitung said, “we feel too much affection for Spain as to write on an atrocity of this sort”. But to say nothing about it is not a sign of fair play. Instead, it is silent support for cruelty and savagery. This silent agreement must end. For most Catalans, it is really tough to be sharing a common state with so many citizens who support and enjoy committing these wild, outrageous acts.
Jordi Vàzquez
@JordiVazquez
Editor for Help Catalonia. Author of 'El moviment nacional escocès'. (The Scottish National Movement). Founder member of Plataforma per la Llengua, 'Llengües Vives', 'Synergia-Bulletin about European Nations' (1997-2004) and former member of the students union BEI, political movement JNC, Plaid Cymru and Celtic League.
0 comentaris:
Post a Comment